Emma is 9 today! It's been a wild ride and I fully accept that the next 9 will likely make these last 9 look tame. Emma will always make life more colorful.

At 9, Emma loves school and receives compliments often from her teachers: she's a great helper in the classroom, she is a definite rule follower (and wants to make sure everyone else is, too), and strives to work hard and please her teachers. We're so proud of the strong and hardworking student she has become.

Of course she's also our all-star athlete. Soccer, softball, basketball - officially - and whatever other sports she can try her hand at here or there ... she loves them all. She has become a great leader on her teams, rallying the girls when things are going well, and always, always playing hard. Watching her play brings us so much joy. She leaves it all on the field every game, and continues to be a "coachable" player, which her coaches love.

Emma continues to press all the buttons - the good ones and the not so good ones. She knows what she wants and will usually go to any lengths to get it. This doesn't always result in the most peaceful and beautiful interactions, but if ever there was a girl born to stand her ground ... it's Emma. Even when she drives me crazy, I couldn't love her more.

 Happy 9th Birthday, Emma Grace. You're the best. ❤

Back to School

To say that our summer went by in a flash is a tremendous understatement. I had exactly seven days off of work this summer, and it was not enough. Steve and I had originally talked about getting to Galveston or venturing out somewhere for at least a long weekend, and it just didn't happen. We did make our road trip to MN, and went off the beaten path for a while in Iowa to show the girls around. We spent a fun day in Winterset, enjoying the lively town square where we ate lunch out of baskets at the pharmacy counter, visited John Wayne's birthplace, admired a covered bridge at a park with a hedge maze, and got ice cream treat from Frosty's, which shares a parking lot with the long-standing Brittain Standard Parts. We all enjoyed our day in a small but thriving town!

On our way north we had to stop in Ames. There was a freshman orientation going on while we were there, so the campus was lively, which was fun! Still one of our favorite places ever.

Then we spent a fun week in MN - boating, grilling, plenty of stops at Boathouse Brothers, and a parents night out while the grandkids stayed with G & G. Always lots of laughs with this crew.

When we got back to TX, Sara spent a weekend (ten hours) taking a babysitting safety course. She has since picked up a job watching our one-year-old neighbor for an evening, and spent several days leading up to the start of school babysitting for a family we knew from Primrose several years ago. She packed her bag with her first aid kit, safety manual, crafts and games, and rode her bike to her job! I'm proud of how responsible she is.

And then, low and behold, before we were ready, school started. The girls went to 3rd and 7th grades on August 11th. We are so thankful that they are back in person with their friends and teachers; even though everything is not totally normal, it's really close and that's a win!

Sara rode her bike, while Steve got in yet another walk to Daffron. Only a couple of those left!

We've spent the past couple of weekends at soccer tournaments, and the season (along with softball) begins soon for Emma. Sara is busy with cheer, reading, and spending lots of time picking out her daily outfits. She and a friend went thrift store shopping yesterday and she was thrilled with her cheap finds! Soon, Emma's birthday will be here, and I know that one fall week will quickly turn into another. Hoping to do plenty of breathing and stopping to enjoy it all along the way... 

Camp

 The girls went to Camp Grady Spruce for a week in June and had the time of their lives! They spent the week prior packing their trunks to match the long list of necessary items, and were all set to head out on the morning of Father's Day. We drove them the 2+ hours to Possum Kingdom Lake and got them settled in their cabins. They both chose bottom bunks and were quick to get all set up!

We all had mixed emotions of excitement and nerves. It was hard to drive away, but Steve and I were so hopeful that they'd have a great week.

The camp uses an app that sends pictures throughout the week, and it was so nice to get little glimpses of them here and there!

They went boating, sailing skiing, horseback riding, zip lining, hiking, fishing ... Sara did a late night hike and spent one night under the stars in a hammock. They tried new foods, connected with counselors, participated in campfires and flag raising, challenged themselves, and of course enjoyed the canteen each day. So many new and wonderful experiences!

Steve and I found ourselves with several evenings relaxing on the porch ... nothing too crazy, but just enjoying the quiet and catching up on quality time!

When we picked up the girls the following Saturday, they were NOT ready to leave. Emma cried harder than she's cried in a long time and begged for another week. Sara was less emotional, but no less excited about saying goodbye.

I remember loving camp as a kid, and I'm so thankful for their wonderful week away. They already can't wait to go back next year, maybe for longer than a week!

It's Summer!

 The end of the school year was just as crazy as we knew it would be, but we made it! And we ended with good news on the horizon ... Sara is eligible for a vaccine, and masks are optional next year. My teachers were not sad to throw away stacks of desk dividers as they packed up their rooms! May felt as close to normal as we've been in a long time, and for that I am so grateful. It's been one busy weekend after another!

Sara participated in choir this year and they were finally able to hold an in-person concert. It was in the gym so the kids could space out, and the masks made it difficult to hear much, but we didn't care. They did a Disney hits show, which was really cute. I was proud of Sara for auditioning for a tumbling spot during the show.

She got to tumble during "When You Wish Upon a Star".

Emma's team participated in a fun one-day 4v4 tournament. The larger group split into two teams for the event, and Emma's team came home with the championship!

Five games later ... these girls were exhausted but excited!

On Mother's Day we went to the Ranger's game at their new stadium. The place is beautiful and we took only one single picture ... but at least it was this one with my girls! 

Sara had been begging for a major haircut since cheer competition season is over, and she really went for it - seven inches off!

The cut and style really is cute. It hasn't looked like this again since she prefers it wavy to straight, but I was so happy with out it turned out. And she's figured out how to still get it up for practice! 

Last weekend, Emma was busy with softball games so she and I stayed here, but Steve and Sara went to Waco for a graduation party. The Kansas cousins were there and ended up coming back with Steve and Sara for the night. The girls made the most of their short time together and had a blast!

Here's Sara with her cute hair. Behind her is a CD player ... she had found a bunch of Steve's old CDs and wanted to play them, so he got her a player. Makes me laugh. She's been jamming to everything from AC/DC to The Beatles to Nirvana.

Birthday party with soccer friends!

Emma's softball team played in a new, much harder league this spring - and managed to win the playoffs! We had several nail-biter games right in a row where the girls had to come from behind to win (which they are not used to doing).

In the championship, they were down 1-8 before coming back to win 14-13. It was so exciting, and also a great lesson for the girls in perseverance. There is an all-star game later this week and Emma will be playing in it along with a couple of other girls from her team.

Although it's raining again today, we did have a beautiful Saturday and even Jim enjoyed quite a bit of pool time!

In fact it was so nice out that Steve and I ordered the girls some pizza and snuck away for a summer bev at one of our favorite places!

We are so glad summer is here and we made it through this crazy year. During the last week of school, we held an in-person (outdoor) assembly for the students as well as an in-person staff circle (it's our tradition). It was the second time we'd gotten all the kids together - the first was a couple weeks prior for our teacher of the year; and it was the first time we'd gotten the whole staff together. Being physically together makes such a difference, and I'm so glad we just went for it. The kids needed it and so did the staff, and we ended the hardest year ever on a really positive note. The summer will still be full of hard work, but I can already feel the stress of the year melting away - it's like a true physical and mental release. 

The girls have a few little things going on here and there (besides regular sports), but the next big thing is preparing for sleep-away camp in a couple of weeks. We have lots of shopping to do!

Girls' Weekend

Wow - I haven't updated my blog in a very long time, and the thought of going back and covering what I missed feels super overwhelming at this point. Quick recap of life since all that snow:

• An amazing, restful, safe, much-needed week in Florida for spring break! We spent time as a family, and Steve and I also got to get away for a few days to celebrate our 40th birthdays. I'm so glad we got away when we did, because life since has been crazy.
• Soccer, cheer, softball ... games/competitions/practices. Busy, fun, and successful. Watching my girls at these events is probably one of my very activities.
• Vaccines for Steve and me! Side effects: sleepiness for me; chills and lethargy for Steve.
• Attempted pool opening! We've had a couple of really warm, sunny Sundays so we've turned on the pool heater and the girls have taken a swim. Nothing consistent yet, though. Nothing beats reading and playing by the pool on a beautiful day!
• 60+ hour work weeks - full of stress and not enough hours in the day to get to all the things. Seems like every time I feel like we finally have a handle on this crazy COVID year, another curveball comes. At this point, I'm trying to keep my teachers going, keep the community happy, and keep everyone showing up and doing their best as we drag ourselves to the finish line.
• Girls are signed up for a week of sleep-away camp in June, but otherwise I've not made much progress on summer plans. I'll roll right into summer school after the year ends, but it's all virtual this year and, honestly, I'm looking forward to the flexibility that comes with that! Although I really believe the kids need to be in school, I need a break this summer!

This weekend, Steve met the college guys at a cabin in Oklahoma for draft weekend. Over the past couple of days, I've realized that this is the first time in a very long time that he's gone out of town and I haven't been totally anxiety-ridden at the very thought of it. I don't know what's different this time, but it's a relief. His weekend away has allowed me a little one-on-one time each with Sara and Emma (not that we don't miss him - ha! - but I'm glad it feels different this time).

Thursday night, Sara had her cheer banquet. Emma got a haircut and style ...

... and had dinner at BWW.

Sara was awarded "Most Improved Tumbler" on her cheer team. Super proud of her hard work!

Last night while Emma was at softball, Sara and I got the cool circle booth and enjoyed pizza at Taverna Rossa.

Now we're on day three (at least) of rain, so we'll see what we decide to do besides laundry and the usual catch-up stuff. I'm sure the girls will talk me into something fun!

Snowmageddon 2021

Well, for once when the forecast said snow in Texas, it wasn't exaggerating. Last week was crazy on so many levels! We woke up on Valentine's Day to a dusting. The snow continued to fall and the temps continued to drop...

Our pool area looked like this Sunday night ...

And like this Monday morning ...

The snow was beautiful! The girls were thrilled! But the state was in an uproar. We don't have vehicles or tools or insulation or plows or - you name it - equipped for this weather. Although it gets cold here, it hadn't been as cold as it was last week in more than 30 years. And snow usually lasts a matter of hours, a day at most. We were in store for an entire week of it!

Emma had to try a snow ice cream recipe. Sara liked it, Emma just liked making it.

Jim didn't know what to think! It took some getting used to, but he ended up really enjoying the snow. It was cute to watch him pounce and then sink, or stick his nose in it and come up eating some. Everytime the girls came in from outside, he ate the ice chunks off their gloves and hats.

There was real concern everywhere about pipes bursting, pools freezing over, etc. We were so lucky to maintain power the entire time (we think we must be on the same grid as the nearby fire station), so our pool pump was able to function throughout the freeze. We had lots of ice on the pool (several inches thick), but never a complete freeze-over since we could keep it running. We did NOT polar plunge.

Although it was super cold (we're talking hovering around zero degrees at times), we had some sunny days and the girls went out multiple times a day to play. We realized we have a great driveway for sledding!

Snow Angels

This guy. Steve shoveled him a little track back to the side yard where he potties. He loved running his track!

Steve spent lots of time breaking up the pool ice.

While we were stuck at home, living off the groceries we'd thankfully stocked up on, Emma decided she wanted Sloppy Joe's. I told her to add it to my list, and she ended up writing "Slopy Jose's" - we all laughed and laughed and now these sandwiches have a new name in our house!

Although we never lost power, we had several days without internet and cable. Besides playing outside, the girls stayed busy making bracelets, playing cards, and baking.

We made many delicacies from scratch, which is something we don't normally take the time to do.

I loved the look of our house in the snow! Our own little winter wonderland ... it will probably be many years before we have a week like this again.

I had to compare these pics - our 2015 March snowfall (we got a bunch but it only lasted a day or two) versus 2021.

A week off of school, lots of family time (which quarantine had prepared us for very well), and a yard full of snow ... plus the luck of having power and water consistently ... made for a very memorable, fun snowmageddon!